“Go. Make sure she’s okay. I’ve got this covered.”
“Oh my God, I can’t believe this is happening, Emmett.” Amber closed her eyes. “This is our first baby, Bryant. Cody, now I’m without a doctor. This can’t be happening.”
Paris looked at the monitor and saw Amber’s blood pressure was climbing fast from fear. “Relax, Amber. You’re in good hands.”
“Paris, I think you’re wonderful, but you’re only a nurse.”
She had to calm Amber’s fears, and the only way she knew how to do that was to be honest with her. “Amber, look at me. I need to tell you and your husbands something.”
“What?”
“I’m not just a nurse. I actually am a doctor, a surgeon to be more specific.”
“You’re a what?” Amber asked. “Oh. That hurts. It really hurts.”
Paris moved to the position Dustin had just vacated. “Sweetie, it’s time for you to push. Are you ready?”
Amber nodded.
“Emmett, you take Amber’s left leg and hold it up. Cody, you take the right. Amber, the next big pain, I want you to push while Bryant counts to ten.”
“Okay. Ohhh.”
“Now. Push, push, push, push, push. Breathe. Relax. Again, push, push, push, push. Breathe. Relax. Here comes a sweet head with black hair. Can you do that for me just one more time? Ready, bear down as hard as you can, push, push, push and here he comes. You have a very handsome cowboy.”
The baby cried, and the waterworks started with the new parents.
Paris placed the baby on Amber’s stomach, handing a damp cloth to her to wipe him off with. She got the big scissors. “Who’s going to cut the cord?”
The three dads said in unison. “We all are.”
“Paris, you are the greatest doctor in the whole world. Thank you. Thank you.”
“And you’re the best new mommy, Amber, but I hope you and your husbands will keep me being a doctor between us. I don’t want anyone else to know.”
“Does your father know?” Bryant asked.
“Not even him. Mum’s the word.”
“Whatever you say, Doc,” Emmett said, smiling broadly.
Paris watched the sweet family oohing and ahhing over their new son. “Have you picked out a name for your boy?”
“We agreed to name him after our two dads, Paris.” Cody kissed his son. “Hello, Richard Trevor Stone. Welcome to the world.”
Emmett and Bryant cheered.
Amber cried. “This is our son. Our little boy.”
Paris cleaned up Amber and little Richard Stone, stopping to examine the small bundle of joy. His APGAR score was perfect. This is so rewarding.
Since her internship, this was the first time she’d practiced medicine. Amber was her first patient.
Could Dustin be right? Should I start using my medical degree and begin practicing medicine? The responsibility of life and death was overwhelming to her.
“Your baby is doing great, and you’re all set here,” she told the Stones. “I’m going to go see if Dustin needs a hand with Ethel. If you need anything at all, just press the buzzer. I will only be a few steps away.”
“Thank you, Paris.” Amber kissed little Richard Trevor. “Thank you so much. I’ll never forget this.”